Leaders need more than optimism to be effective

Simple tactics to avoid feeling overwhelmed at work include taking three deep breaths, making a list of tasks and planning a reward for when you complete your day's work, writes author and licensed psychologist Mary Anderson. Other tips from Anderson include focusing on one task at a time and controlling what you can control.

Put it into practice: Multitasking is a surefire way to feel overwhelmed by too much stimuli as the human brain is wired for one task at a time. "Toggling our attention makes us inefficient and more prone to mistakes, especially if the tasks are complex," Anderson writes.

Generation Z is the fastest growing workforce group, and their preferences have been shaped by parenting, technology and geography, says Jason Dorsey, president of the Center for Generational Kinetics research firm, who emphasizes the importance of understanding and connecting with different generations in the workforce. Dorsey, speaking the 2024 ICMA Annual Conference, also urged leaders to recognize the value of every generation, noting Baby Boomers' experience, Gen X's skepticism and millennials' technology dependence, while encouraging strategies to recruit and retain Gen Z employees.

A two-year-old siamese cat made his way back to his home state of California after walking over 800 miles from Yellowstone National Park, where he first went missing. Rayne Beau, pronounced Rainbow, had lost 40% of his body weight, but was otherwise healthy. "He just looked at me, and then he put his head down and just fell fast asleep," his owner, Susanne Anguiano said. "He was so exhausted."

Brenda K. sent in this photo of her co-worker, Gus, a 3-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog who weighs in at more than 125 pounds and is "always by my side," Brenda says. Gus came to their family after their previous dog succumbed to cancer. They were on the waiting list at a breeder when another family was unable to adopt him, and Brenda says it was "love at first sight" when they picked him up.

Brenda says: "We referred to him as 'Thank goodness for Gus' as a puppy as he helped heal our hearts during a difficult time. He's now 'Gus the Bus' who snuggles in bed with us each morning and demands belly rubs at every opportunity. He's truly a member of our family."

Thank goodness, indeed! Thanks for sharing Gus with us, Brenda.

What non-human companions keep you company in your home office or greet you when you return home from work? Share them with us!

When I worked in the news business, I was used to a fast-paced day, primarily when I worked in what was called Master Control at the now-defunct CNNRadio. This was a room full of screens showing feeds from around the world. There was a giant control/soundboard and two reel-to-reel tape machines. We later went digital with audio editing, but this was the setup in the mid-1990s.

I was the only one in the room, and I was responsible for it all. Anchors would call over the intercom for a piece of audio from some live feed, and I had to know where it was on the tape, how to find it quickly and put it on an audio cart for them to use in their newscast. Most days, you didn't think; you just DID.

I thoroughly enjoyed that job because, being ADHD, the constant multitasking seemed easy to me. There were days of overwhelm, though, when extra hands and ears were needed to keep up.

If you're feeling like the world is coming at you fast, Mary Anderson's advice on dealing with overwhelm can be helpful. I found my time in Master Control went more smoothly if I remembered to breathe and control the things I could. Checklists were always a good thing, especially if requests from the anchors were coming fast and furious.

When I needed to concentrate on getting the right piece of audio for the anchors, I would silence the rest of the room and work on that piece until it was done. Even though I was responsible for everyone's audio, I still had to focus on doing it one piece at a time.

The reward at the end of those days was knowing that I could go home to my partner and have a good dinner with a feeling that I had done a good job.

The next time you feel inundated at work, give Anderson's tips a try. You might find you're finally able to tame the beast of overwhelm.

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